Unitarian Universalism and sexual orientation

Unitarian Universalism and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) have a long-standing tradition of welcoming LGBT people. The first ordained minister of any religion in the U.S. or Canada to come out was the Rev. James Stoll in 1969.[1] There have been UUA resolutions supporting people regardless of sexual orientation since 1970, and a popular program of becoming a "Welcoming Congregation" since 1989. UUA has officially supported UUA clergy performing Services of Union between same-sex couples since 1984,[2] and has supported same-sex marriage since 1996.[3] In 2004 UU Minister Rev. Debra Haffner of The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing published An Open Letter on Religious Leaders on Marriage Equality to affirm same-sex marriage from a multi-faith perspective.[4]

The UUA maintains an Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns[5] (which operates the Welcoming Congregation programme). There is also a fellowship of LGBT Unitarian Universalists and supporters called Interweave Continental. Interweave is an affiliate of the UUA. Any UU Church or Fellowship desiring to become a Welcoming Congregation must meet the requirements set out in The Welcoming Congregation Handbook,by the UUA Office of Bisexual, Gay Lesbian and Transgender Concerns. Once the requirements have been met, the UUA designates that church as a Welcoming Congregation and adds an icon to the listing in the UUA Directory. Usually, the Welcoming Committee evolves into an Interweave Chapter. Each chapter requests financial and advocacy support from the fellowship with which it is connected.[6]

The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) similarly operates a Gender and Sexual Diversity Monitoring Group[7] and, like the UUA (of which it became autonomous only in 2002), has Welcoming Congregations. The CUC also performs same-sex marriages in Canada.[7]

Contents

Welcoming Congregation

A Welcoming Congregation[8] is a church in the Unitarian Universalist Association or Canadian Unitarian Council that has undergone an intensive educational program to help the congregation become more inclusive of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) people. Many Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist churches have adopted this.

To be an official welcoming congregation in the Unitarian Universalist Association, it is necessary for the following to be true about the church:

See also

Religion portal
LGBT portal

References

  1. ^ "My Greatly Human Hometown Minister—James Lewis Stoll, 1936–1994", sermon by Leland Bond-Upson, delivered January 9, 2005
    (Copy saved at the Internet Archive)
  2. ^ "Unitarians Endorse Homosexual Marriages", UPI, New York Times, 29 June 1984, retrieved on 21 June 2007.
  3. ^ UUA: Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Community
  4. ^ Religious Leaders Must Support Justice for All | Reproductive Health | RHRealityCheck.org
  5. ^ Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns
  6. ^ Interweave Continental
  7. ^ a b Gender and Sexual Diversity Issues
  8. ^ Welcoming Congregation

External links

Overview:
Religions:
Abrahamic:
Indian:
Other:
Other:
LGBT-affirming religious groups (Judaism · Christianity) · Ordination of LGBT clergy (Judaism · Christianity) · The Bible · Hijra · Two-spirit · Xanith